Greta Vollan, keeper of the gold, shield maiden, sister to the Jarl, wife of Garrick, and mother of Gunnar and Wilhelm, and adopted mother of Ralaf.
As the Gold Keeper, it is her job to make sure there are enough assets to make sure Aesa’s ideas come true and ensure she is not getting swindled by others. She also provides a good home base for her family. As a woman in the village, she knows how to make things by nalbinding, wire weaving, and using a lucet to make cords. As a mother, she has provided strong young men to fight for our Jarl. She’s visiting the village as part of a diplomatic trade mission. By opening up more trade routes, we can become bigger and stronger than before. We can buy more lands, build bigger boats and grow our families. Before she came to the village, she was a shield maiden. She learned how to fight from Gunnar Erickson, one of her father’s (the former Jarl) warriors. Her firstborn son is named after him – ask her to tell you the story sometime. She fought for a time as a shield maiden under the name of Helga, so her father would not find out, but then met her husband and started having babies, like a good Viking woman does. When Aesa became Jarl, she put Greta in charge of the treasure. The Jarl trusts Greta and that is very important to her. Without her, the Jarl would spend too much of her money on mead and swords. Greta helps with negotiations and keeps the other villagers from thinking the Vikings may be here to attack. She knows how to negotiate a good trade, and how to know when others are trying to get the better of her. Greta’s history as a shield maiden proves to be an asset as she remains a strong fighter and continues to teach the traditions to the younger members. She is ready for home and the battlefield at the same time. |